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November 27, 2017 | Shaun Bremner

Three Reasons How an App Can Benefit Your Digital Strategy

When deciding your digital strategy there are many different approaches to consider. To help make informed decisions leading app researcher, App Annie, recently compiled a report identifying a number of top-level insights recognising the benefits of considering an app within your overall digital strategy. We have broken down the research into three key findings and benefits to help with your decision making.

Increased loyalty and engagement

Globally in H1 2017, native mobile apps accounted for 88% of time and 93% of sessions on Android phones (the remainder was spent in browsers). Smartphone users spend 7x more time in native apps than in browsers, and tend to access them 13x more often.’

This proves that users are spending much more time in apps than browsing on mobile optimised websites. This is reconfirmed by the amount of time we are using apps for, which is well over 2 hours each day. The top 20% of users spend more than 4 hours a day in apps.’ Presenting a big opportunity for businesses.

The increased time spent is mostly the result of the extra capabilities available within an app such as push notifications, geo-targeting and rich media when deployed effectively can increase repeating traffic through engagement. Giving apps a distinct advantage over website only solutions since the majority of these features are unavailable when interacting with a website on mobile.

Revenue Opportunities

‘In the US (a more mature mobile market) over half of consumers have made a purchase via mobile, and half of those prefer to use apps.

‘Some successful retailers are now seeing more than half of their sales come through mobile channels, and app users specifically convert at 3X the rate of mobile web users.

This makes it clear that there are potential revenue opportunities within apps, particularly when the additional features are being utilised and users have a habitual relationship with your app.

Apps Have Better Compatibility with Device Hardware and Functionality

Native apps can offer a tailored and immersive user experience by allowing in-app personalisation and customisable features, delivering a more familiar experience on user’s mobile devices.

They are a highly engaging and targeted channel when interacting with users due to their access to engaging features. Native apps are created for specific operating systems allowing all the features and functionality the platform holds. For example, taking advantage of optimised app features such as push notifications that can contain rich content (images & videos) which can be sent depending on user behaviour, cameras, GPS, fingerprint/face authentication all resulting in more compelling user experiences.

With time spent in apps almost doubling over the past few years and rapid sustained growth predicted, an app strategy cannot be overlooked. Apps are becoming the primary channel for many users and it is a great opportunity to engage with existing consumers while enticing a new audience.

App Annie is a leading app market data company gaining insights from over 11 million apps across the globe being used by 94 of the top 100 publishers across the globe. The full App Annie report can be downloaded here.

We also held a recent app webinar, focusing on how combining PDF content with Live News can be your strategy for success in 2018. which can be viewed here.